


Nefarious Ulterior Motives

by caistaru



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cute, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Harry Potter & Tom Riddle Attend Hogwarts Together, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Secret Relationship, Self-Indulgent, Vignette, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24789463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caistaru/pseuds/caistaru
Summary: Harry gets stood up but that doesn’t mean he ends the day without a date.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle
Comments: 23
Kudos: 543





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write some cliche cute things lmao
> 
> If there are any tags or typos I missed, feel free to mention them :)

The rhythmic tap tap tap of Harry’s nails against the hard wood sounded out quietly, drowned out to everyone but him amongst the sea of hushed voices paired with the cheesy lyrics of the Weird Sisters playing as the background ambience to all the conversations that surrounded him.

On the table was an untouched cup of lukewarm butterbeer.

The staff at the Three Broomsticks have been glancing at him for the last half hour with pity swimming in their eyes. They knew he was waiting for someone and that someone didn’t seem to be appearing any time soon. Irritation spiked in Harry’s chest over the fact that even _they_ pitied him as the tapping of his fingers increased in tempo.

He casted a quick tempus charm again and let out another sigh. One of many that the staff had witnessed. But this time, he moved to gather his coat and wand. This was utterly ridiculous, he inwardly scowled to himself. The least that fucker could have done was send an owl saying he couldn’t make it or didn’t want to or something along those lines. Was it necessary to also hurt any semblance of pride Harry had? Either way, he would muster as much dignity as he could and keep his head up high as he left.

Just as he was about to do so, a tall, handsome man slid into the seat across from Harry and shot an apologetic smile at him.

“Sorry for being late, darling,” he said smoothly with a wink. “I was caught up in my studies.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed. _Riddle_ , he thought to himself. Definitely not the one who had stood him up, so why was he here?

He smoothed his facial features out as he responded as casually as he could, “It was no worries.” Too awkward, but passable.

He glanced over at the staff who seemed to have a mixture of relief and very mild annoyance on their faces as they turned back to doing their jobs.

Riddle also took a look at them with an amused smile on his face. “Waiting for someone?” he asked with mirth lacing his tone.

Harry scowled at the reminder. “Not anymore it seems,” he answered with a sight huff before he let his shoulders relax. He didn’t realise how tense he had been. “And what are you doing here?”

“Well, you see. I just happened to see someone waiting all by their lonesome self and it appeared as if they’ve been stood up so I thought I would keep them company,” Riddle replied with his ever present (ridiculously attractive) smirk.

“What a saint,” Harry said dryly. “So pray tell, what do you get out of this?”

“Whoever said anything about getting something from this?” Riddle asked, feigning a tone of innocence.

“Oh, please. You’re _Tom Riddle_. You are _literally_ the snakiest of snakes and you don’t do anything unless it can benefit you it some way,” Harry scoffed with an unimpressed look.

They stared at each other, unflinchingly for a few moments until Tom conceded. “Fine, fine, I’ll tell you of my nefarious ulterior motives,” he said with a smirk before he leaned in, mere centimetres from Harry’s face.

“I just wanted to go on a date with a cute boy I happen to fancy.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They talk it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I thought I wasn't going to add any more to this but here I am haha
> 
> I might add more in the future (whether it is in the near future is questionable) but it'll probably stay relatively short since I did not make any plot for this
> 
> Anyways, I hope you like it :)
> 
> Also side note: I know for sure there won't be a date scene because bold of you to assume I know what a nice date looks like haha

A scarlet bloomed on the boy’s face, his mouth gaping open at little as he looked incredulously at Tom. “You’re kidding me, right?” Harry asked with a dubious look marring his face.

Tom gave Harry a patient smile that hinted at very mild exasperation. “No, darling. I’m not,” he said in a pleasant tone.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the handsome boy, still relatively impatient as he responded with a sharp, “Why?”

After all, he was just Harry. Besides his grades in Defence and becoming the youngest Seeker of the century, Harry wasn’t all that notable and generally stuck with his small circle of friends. Compared to Tom, who was first in every subject apart from Defence and a Prefect, Harry was barely anything.

“Do I need to have a reason to like someone as well?” Tom asked, returning the raised eyebrow with a more amused tone. “I’m not planning on going after your family fortune if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“I mean… it’s just– there’s many other people who–” Harry attempted to explain, throwing in a few wild hand gestures that could be compared to flailing, but he wasn’t the most eloquent with his speech. Just barely enough to get his point across.

“If I fancied them, I would’ve been with them, Harry,” Tom reminded him patiently. Right. Tom could practically get anyone he wanted. He also wasn’t the type of person to do this kind of thing as a trick either; whether it was to keep up his own reputation or because he wasn’t interested in humiliating people was unknown though. 

Harry carefully studied Tom’s disposition for a moment. He didn’t _seem_ to be lying, though he’s seen the boy lie as easily as he was breathing, so that didn’t add much credibility. Though, if anything, he kept on playing with his fingers, as if he was _nervous_ about Harry’s response. He didn’t even seem to realise he was doing it either. 

Eventually, Harry just sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Alright then,” he conceded.

“Alright?” the Prefect echoed. 

“It’s a date then,” Harry said with a small, almost bashful, smile. 

Tom’s face visibly lit up from it’s usual calm and charming demeanour to a more genuine expression. “Thank you,” he simply responded in the confident tone that he usually sported. As if this was the outcome he had been expecting all along because it wasn’t Tom Riddle if he didn’t always appear so self assured. 

“Would you like to go on a walk?” Harry offered because quite frankly, he was sick of sitting in this chair as he had been for the last half hour. 

Tom gave a gracious smile as he gave a smooth reply. “Of course.”

Tom slid out of his seat as he helped Harry into his coat, acting as the perfect gentleman that everyone perceived him to be. As they exited the Three Broomsticks together, Tom offered his arm. “Shall we?” he asked in a light, almost teasing tone.

“We shall,” the Gryffindor responded, looping his arm around the Slytherin's.


	3. Chapter 3

“Wait _what_?” Ron asked as he stared at Harry with a look of pure disbelief written on his face. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Trust me, I thought the same thing,” Harry muttered as he sunk into the couch in their common room a little more, his face was certainly red at this point. 

“You’re going out with a _Slytherin_ now?” the ginger asked, the same incredulous tone making it self apparent. “What if he like– hurts you or something?”

“He’s not _that_ bad,” Harry said defensively which only earnt him even more looks of scepticism. 

“I mean, if he claims he likes Harry, I don’t see what’s so bad about it,” Hermione placed her input on the conversation with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“Riddle is in _Slytherin_. What if he has some nefarious ulterior motives or something?” Ron asked in what could be described as nothing short of dramatic despair.

Harry snorted at Ron’s statement and let out a short chuckle. “That’s what I asked. But seriously, he was like… really sweet, actually.” _And smart, attractive, the perfect gentleman, great conversationalist._

It took some time to convince the second youngest Weasley that Tom wasn’t _that_ terrible of a human being, and he eventually huffed, looking slightly miffed. “At the very least, can we give him a shovel talk?”

Hermione grinned at Ron’s question. “Of course we are. What kind of friends would we be if we _didn’t_?”

* * *

“Riddle!” a distinctly feminine voice called out after class.

The person in question turned around to look for who called him, only to have his eyes land on Hermione Granger. 

“Yes?” he asked in his usual pleasantly accommodating voice.

“Could you please accompany me to the library before you head to the Great Hall? I have a few inquiries,” the bright witch requested, matching his tone.

“Of course,” Tom said smoothly, following Hermione out of the classroom. He had been expecting something like this would occur. What he didn’t expect was that it would be happening so soon. 

It didn’t take them long to reach the library and Tom managed to keep a mask of calm on his face the entire time. He was _not_ calm. Not in the slightest. He couldn’t risk antagonising them because well. They were Harry’s _friends_ . They’ve been with him since their first year so if Harry _had_ to choose between them, there was a high chance it would be them. Tom chose to conveniently ignore that they could probably do some terrifying things as well (especially after word got out about the polyjuice incident back in their second year).

They moved swiftly to the back of the library, passing by rows upon rows of bookshelves that Tom had made himself familiar with over the years. At the very back, there was an impatient Ron Weasley, tapping his feet to an unknown tune. His head snapped over to Hermione and Tom with an intense stare. He appeared to be a mix of rage and scrutiny, Tom noted.

However, Ron didn’t do anything until they were a lot closer. Whether it was because he didn’t want to get them all kicked out of the library or to lull Tom into a sense of security, he had no clue. But when they _did_ get close, the red head poked Tom’s shoulder not all too gently (which would’ve made an amusing sight if it wasn’t for the situation).

“You,” Ron started sternly, with a fierce glare. 

“Me?” Tom echoed with a raised eyebrow, doing his best to keep an unconcerned expression. He started to play with his fingers a little.

“If you _dare_ even hurt him in _any_ way, you’re not going to like what’s coming for you,” Ron ended with a huff before he backed off.

“What Ron is trying to say is,” Hermione began with a sweet smile that hinted at something far more sinister. “No one will know what happened with you if Harry _ever_ says something negative.”

Tom gave them both a stiff nod, not doubting them for a second. “I… understand.” 

“But other than that, treacle tarts are a favourite of Harry’s,” Hermione said nonchalantly before she gestured to Ron to follow her. “That’s all we had to say.”

“And don’t forget how Harry’s currently struggling in potions right now.” Though it looked like Ron was talking to Hermione, it was clearly directed to Tom who inwardly smiled at both their antics. He could see why Harry chose to surround himself with their company. 

The next time he saw Harry, he looked a little anxious. “Did Hermione and Ron corner you somewhere to threaten you?” he asked nervously.

All Tom could do was give him a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, we had a pleasant conversation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just like the idea of Hermione and Ron bullying Tom a little haha oops


	4. Chapter 4

One date had turned into a second and then a third and then at some point, Harry had stopped counting. Sometimes it was planned like a picnic at the Black Lake, and sometimes it was just simply studying together in the library. 

With all the adventure and excitement he tended to experience with Hermione and Ron, Tom was like a breath of fresh air. He brought with a sense of calm that was rather comforting for Harry.

No one knew of this relationship between Tom and Harry besides Harry's friends and Tom's Knights of Walpurgis (Harry couldn't contain his laughter when he first heard the title Tom had bestowed upon them). But Harry didn't mind it too much. He understood that some people weren't comfortable with the whole coming out, and as far as the entire population of Hogwarts knew (including Harry before Tom asked him out), Tom was straighter than a plank of wood. Since Harry also knew of Tom’s political aspirations and the ramifications that the whole relationship might have on it, it was probably best to keep it a secret for a little bit as well. 

The sight of Harry and Tom being attached by the hip may have been odd at first, but any rumours had quickly been quelled by the Knights or by Tom himself. They claimed it was “to better inter house relationships” and well, what better way to do that than with the charismatic Slytherin prefect—likely to be Head Boy—and Gryffindor’s Golden Boy Quidditch captain? Besides, they weren’t technically  _ lying _ . Just merely omitting part of the truth, as Tom would say. 

As a result, it had certainly been a surprise to the Gryffindor when he had entered the Great Hall, still half asleep with his hair messier than usual. He had taken his usual seat at the table draped in red and gold with Ron and Hermione, mindlessly piling some food onto his plate without any consideration of food combination (a sin, as Ron would claim). For Harry, food was food. It didn’t necessarily matter to him  _ what _ he ate in the morning (though if he didn’t eat anything at all, he'd have to sit through another one of Hermione’s lectures about the importance of having three meals a day) since his brain barely registered any taste when he ate in the morning. 

You couldn’t blame him for not noticing his present company either. Neither could you blame him for not noticing the entire school exploding into whispers and staring at said company (though the other two of the Golden Trio and the Knights didn’t seem all too surprised). Nor for not noticing that company was wearing a green and silver that made him stand out more than a lighthouse in the dead of night in a sea of red and gold.

Harry continued to go through the mechanical motions of eating and mentally psyching himself up for the day when a familiar and distinctly unconcerned chuckle pierced the fog in his mind, dispersing it. He looked up from his food, still a little bleary, though that too was clearing (albeit still fairly slowly), to find his boyfriend staring down at him almost fondly. Even with his sleep riddled mind, he, along with the entire school, could see the soft genuine smile that graced his face. A stark contrast to his usual confident smirk or carefully practiced charming smiles. 

“Mornin’, what’re y’doin’ here?” Harry mumbled, tilting his head in confusion. He still didn’t know what was acceptable to do in public yet so he didn’t move to give the Slytherin any kind of gesture.

“Good morning to you too, darling. My friends insisted that I sit here this morning after your friends invited me. Not that I mind it all too much,” Tom responded with a huff of amusement as he witnessed the smaller boy’s mannerisms. He slipped an arm around the Gryffindor’s waist and pulled him a little closer to his side as if the entire school still wasn’t staring at them like vultures, greedy for another piece of gossip to consume. 

Harry instinctively leaned against Tom a little more as he took another bite from his toast with a Nutella spread and an egg (sunny side up) on top. He swallowed before he looked up at Tom almost incredulously. “What if you lose your influence though?” He knew how much Tom’s reputation meant to him and he didn’t want to be the cause of his decline, especially since he was also aware of Tom’s ambitions and how he wanted to change the world (immortalise his legacy, he claims). He was also aware that some of his manipulations came purely from the fact that he was single and essentially perfect in every manner. The ‘ideal’ boyfriend. 

The Slytherin understood what Harry was referring to and gave him a reassuring smile in return. “It’s nothing that I can’t recover from. Besides, my plans will be for naught if I have to sacrifice my happiness for it.”

There were… a lot of implications behind those words that even Ron and Hermione, who were sitting close enough to hear their conversation, were gaping at them openly. It expressed the amount of commitment Tom was willing to put into this relationship and it just overall melted Harry’s heart. It was too early in the morning for this. The boy let out a groan as he buried his face into the space between Tom’s neck and shoulder. “You should be charged for murder,” Harry stated with a playful glare towards the boy that held his affections. 

“And why is that?” Tom asked patiently, absentmindedly running his fingers through the soft untamable hair that was so distinctly Harry.

“Because you’ve effectively killed me. I don’t think I can recover from such a blow to my heart,” Harry said with his most serious expression possible before it cracked into a small, shy smile. 

Tom returned the smile with a soft one of his own as he looked upon the smaller boy with such a rare fondness. As if stuck in their own little world, they didn’t notice everyone else turning away in fear of witnessing such a private scene.


End file.
